What happens if Liz Truss resigns today?
Prime Minister Liz Truss has had the worst start to her premiership than any other PM. And the last 48 hours in Westminster have been chaos.
There are rumours that the Liz Truss era is fast approaching its end, and many are plotting to oust her from No 10.
She has only been in the job since September 5.
In that time, the Queen died, Liz Truss crashed the economy, her mini-budget has been ripped up and replaced with policies that she campaigned against during the leadership race, she fired her chancellor and replaced him with a Rishi Sunak supporter, her home secretary resigned and offered up a scathing letter and there were reports of bullying from her cabinet at last night’s Commons vote.
Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng was fired after the mini-budget spooked the financial markets. Many argue that Truss should have gone with him as it was her financial vision as his.
READ – PM in crisis: Suella Braverman quits and voting chaos
How does a Tory leadership election work?
According to the 1922 Committee, an incumbent Tory PM cannot face a confidence vote within their first year on the job. But there is speculation that this rule could be changed.
After that 12-month period, to trigger a contest vote, 15 per cent of Tory MPs would have to submit letters of no confidence to 1922 Committee chair, Sir Graham Brady. If at least 50 per cent of MPs then vote no-confidence in their leader, a leadership election begins.
Tory MPs who want to be in the race for the top job will then seek nominations from their colleagues. There will be a series of ballots which will see all the candidates whittled down to just two. The rank and file of the Conservative party will then choose the winner.
Boris Johnson won the general election in 2019 and although he was ousted and replaced with Truss there is no requirement for the Conservative party to call a general election.
Some MPs are understood to want to avoid putting the vote back to the ordinary members of the party. The Telegraph says some MPs want the parliamentary party to choose Truss’s successor, though others warn that this would require a complicated rule change.
This aligns with newspaper reports that say the Tories want to put Rishi Sunak and Penny Mordaunt in office on a “golden ticket” type deal.
READ – Can Liz Truss save her job?
What happens if Liz Truss resigns today?
If Liz Truss resigns as Conservative leader and Prime Minister today, a leadership contest would begin.
Those wanting to get into No 10 would begin trying to get support for their campaign.
However, it is possible that the Tory parliamentary party could rally around a single candidate for the leadership. This would perhaps be seen as a better option as it will avoid time-wasting.
If Truss does not resign and attempts to cling on to power against the will of MPs and peers, the 1922 Committee could and would likely change the rules to allow an early challenge to her (changing the 12-month rule). This would likely see her removal from both leadership of the party and as prime minister.
Can we have a general election?
Labour and Liberal Democrats are amongst those calling for an early general election. But the government is not legally obliged to hold another general election before January 2025 – surely to the delight of Conservatives as the latest opinion polls suggest the Tories would lose most of their seats.
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Zayn Malik postpones US tour amid Liam Payne’s ‘heartbreaking’ death
Zayn Malik has announced he will be postponing the US dates of his first-ever solo tour following Liam Payne’s death.
Former One Direction singer Payne died aged 31 on October 16 after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
His former bandmates Malik, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, and Niall Horan posted tributes to the singer online sharing their devastation.
Dusk Til Dawn singer Malik wrote on his Instagram page: Given the heartbreaking loss experiences this week, I’ve made the decision to postpone the US leg of the Stairway To The Sky tour.
‘The dates are being rescheduled for January and I’ll post them as soon as it’s all set in the next few days.
‘Your tickets will remain valid for the new dates. Love you all and thank you for your understanding.’
The tour was set to begin on October 23 in San Francisco, California, before culminating on November 3 in New York.
Malik is set to bring the tour to the UK from November 20 with shows in London, Manchester, Edinburgh, Leeds, Wolverhampton, and Newcastle-upon-Tyne. It is unclear whether these shows will be affected.
Payne died following a three-story fall at the Casa Sur Palermo Hotel which led to ‘internal and external haemorrhaging’, preliminary autopsy results announced.
The singer’s alleged behaviour on the day of his death caused concern among hotel staff and the desk manager called emergency services to request assistance.
The Telegraph reported that just seven minutes later, at 5.11pm local time (9.11pm UK time), after Police and SAME (Medical Emergency Attention Service) arrived, Payne was pronounced dead.
Tributes have poured in following Payne’s tragic death, with The X Factor judge Sharon Osbourne, presenter Dermot O’Leary, pop superstar Ed Sheeran, and football star David Beckham all sharing their condolences.
His former One Direction bandmates also released an emotional statement saying they were ‘devastated’ by Payne’s passing.
‘We’re completely devastated by the news of Liam’s passing,’ the statement began.
‘In time, and when everyone is able to, there will be more to say. But for now, we will take some time to grieve and process the loss of our brother, who we loved dearly.
‘The memories we shared with him will be treasured forever. For now, our thoughts are with his family, his friends, and the fans who loved him alongside us.
‘We will miss him terribly. We love you Liam.’
Payne was reportedly in Buenos Aires with girlfriend Kate Cassidy to watch Horan perform on his solo tour at the Movistar Arena.
Cassidy, who has dated Payne since 2022, shared a poignant message on her social media page saying she will love the singer for the rest of her life.
Girls Aloud singer Cheryl, who dated Payne from 2016 to 2018, asked for people to be mindful of their seven-year-old son Bear and remember that Payne was ‘a human being.’
Payne’s family shared their ‘heartbreak’ over their loss, with dad Geoff joining mourners in Argentina at an emotional vigil.
The singer’s sister Ruth Gibbins said she ‘doesn’t understand’ where her brother has gone in a crushing tribute in which she promised to make sure Bear knows how much his dad adored him.
Messages of condolences for Payne’s family continue to flood social media, alongside fond memories of him from fans who grew up with the boyband.
Auditions for Britain’s Got Talent have resumed after being cancelled earlier this week following Payne’s death, though The X Factor judge Simon Cowell has stepped away from the show to process Payne’s death, sources told The Sun.
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